Media release: COUNCIL ENDORSES $68 MILLION LIGHT RAIL SUPPORT PLAN

A Randwick City Council support plan to help
local residents and businesses affected by the proposed introduction of light
rail was endorsed at a meeting of Council on Tuesday 29 April 2014.

The light rail support plan proposes
allocating $68M in future draft budgets, subject to detailed community
consultation, to build a multi-storey car park in Kingsford, claw back street
parking removed because of the light rail (such as along Anzac Parade), upgrade
drainage, create new urban plazas and develop better cycleway connections.

The NSW Government is expected to start work
later this year on the construction of the $1.6B project to build light rail
from Circular Quay to Randwick and Kingsford.

Its construction will deliver a new, modern
transport solution to service 42,000 UNSW students, 13,200 hospital and uni
workers, 11,000 resident commuters, 7,000 TAFE students, 400,000 race-goers and
millions more people who go to concerts, events and sporting matches at the
sporting stadiums and Centennial Parklands.

However its construction will also result in
the loss of parking, removal of trees and changes to traffic flow around Anzac
Parade, Alison Road and High Street in Randwick.

Under
Transport for NSW’s current proposal, about 687 parking spaces will be lost
along the route, including parking on Anzac Parade, and about 280 trees could
be removed in the Randwick Local Government Area.

The
changes will affect the suburbs of Randwick, Kingsford and Kensington, where 60
per cent of the tree loss and 80 per cent of the parking loss will occur. It is
estimated that about 230 parking spaces will be lost at Kingsford near Souths
Juniors Leagues Club.

Randwick Mayor Scott Nash said Council’s
light rail support plan addresses these impacts and will ensure Randwick City
gets the most out of the new transport system.

"We welcome the introduction of light
rail in Randwick City and commend the Government on funding this project. Our
plan will support light rail and make sure Randwick City gets the most out of
this once in a generation opportunity to revitalise our City.

“I think this is a great project.
Getting light rail is a nine out of ten. Our plan will help make this
project a ten out of ten”, Mayor Nash said.

Randwick City Council’s five-year support
plan proposes to:

create
hundreds of new onstreet parking spaces (to reclaim those lost by the
introduction of light rail) by changing parallel parking to angle parking in
local streets near Anzac Parade;

purchase
land and construct a multi-storey car park at Kingsford 9-ways
roundabout;

build
new public plazas and close streets at Waratah Ave/Belmore Rd, Randwick; and
Meeks St/Anzac Pde, Kingsford; upgrade stormwater drainage;

build
east-west cycleways that connect with light rail stops;

build
bicycle lockers and racks near light rail stops; and

undertake
traffic calming works in residential streets.

“Light rail will bring considerable benefits
to our area. It will create between 500 and 700 jobs as a direct result of
construction, and it will support the growth of more than 4,000 jobs in
education, health and research in Randwick City,” Mayor Nash said.

“But with the benefits also come many
challenges and inevitable disruption to residents and businesses. Our plan is
to ensure we address these as much as possible.

“I want everyone in Randwick City to know
that Council is well aware of the concerns and that we are working hard on
developing the right solutions. Although this is a State Government project,
not a Council project, we’re working with all stakeholders to get the best
outcome we can for our City,” Mayor Nash said.

At its meeting last night Tuesday 29 April
2014, Council also resolved to conduct a detailed community consultation
program each year for the next five years about different components of the
light rail support plan.

Council will also establish a Community Light
Rail Support Plan Committee comprised of residents, businesses and community
groups to give feedback to Council on the implementation of the support plan.

“The community will be fully involved and
fully consulted over the next few years, as we plan for the introduction of
light rail. Randwick City Council is an award-winning Council because of
its well known, genuine commitment to community consultation before we make
major decisions.

We’ll be talking and meeting with local
businesses and residents, to get their ideas on how we can help make light rail
a success in our City. I’m looking forward to working constructively with
everyone to get the best results”, Mayor Nash said.

This consultation has concluded. This website was operational from 2011 to 2014 as a means to consult the community and show the benefits of light rail in Randwick City. The NSW Government will start construction on the CBD and South East Light Rail project after April 2015. For updates on construction refer to the Sydney Light Rail website: http://www.sydneylightrail.transport.nsw.gov.au/latest/current-works

Randwick City Council continues to consult the local community about ways to reduce the impact of the construction of light rail in Randwick City. Future consultations will be conducted through our special consultation websitewww.yoursayrandwick.com.au.

Mayor Nash states. Although this is a State Government project, not a Council project, we welcome the introduction of light rail in Randwick City, and commend the Government on funding this project, So Why are the rate payers of Randwick expected to cough up $68 million + for a free car park (that’s until they come up with a reason to charge) and to create hundreds of new unrestricted street parking spaces by the removal of the nature strips to the detriment of the residents in the surrounding area with absolutely no benefits?The only benefits that will come from this short sighted vision of Mayor Nash to rip up the nature strips and turn the surrounding streets in to massive car park will be for the park and commute brigade and UNSW students, Mayor Scott Nash said Council’s light rail support plan addresses the concerns of residents, I disagree.

damoos
about 4 years ago

Cycleways that connect with the Light Rail are a great idea!Secure bicycle storage near light rail stops would therefore be needed (including racks), but can Council please investigate alternatives to lockers; in ACT, VIC and WA bicycle cages are being rolled out. Transport for NSW is now investigating installing cages to replace lockers so would be good to have some consistency across NSW.

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tell me how many people in their 70-80's or above do you know rides a bicycle daily and isn't a lawyer or some sort of high end accountant and doesn't have connections to at least one ?

partinterest
about 4 years ago

tell me how many people in their 70-80's or above do you know rides a bicycle daily and isn't a lawyer or some sort of high end accountant and doesn't have connections to at least one ?

partinterest
about 4 years ago

frankly I support any new transport because currently it is a total joke and as long as it is not human or man .As like the rest of population I am getting older not younger and I live in a hilly area. Will be more likely to be in a willchair than a wheelybike by the time it is built or the by the time I use it or it pays it self off

LbMatraville
about 4 years ago

I think the light rail is a good idea especially if it can be extended to Maroubra Junction.My concern is 2 fold:Re the parking station-will it be free parking? -will it be limited to Randwick council residents only (sticker based)-what about traffic calming measures at the huge roundabout making it easier for pedestrians to cross the roads.Also how do you plan to keep car traffic flowing on Anzac Pde. Many of us take kids to extra murals etc & need to drive.

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Yes. More details required about the parking plans. Will it be free. Will it be time limited. What is the primary purpose of the parking station eg will it cater for CBD workers to park there all day so as to catch the light rail (tram) or is it only for short term users to allow shopping in the Kingsford area. If the latter, what will the other displaced motorists use for parking along Anzac Parade

G. Gully
about 4 years ago

Yes. More details required about the parking plans. Will it be free. Will it be time limited. What is the primary purpose of the parking station eg will it cater for CBD workers to park there all day so as to catch the light rail (tram) or is it only for short term users to allow shopping in the Kingsford area. If the latter, what will the other displaced motorists use for parking along Anzac Parade

Balanced
about 4 years ago

Mayor Nash purports to tell us that jobs generated by the light rail construction will benefit our community. This statement flies in the face of the propensity for temporary 457 visa jobs in construction and the strong likelihood that any other construction related jobs will not be going to permanent residents of our Council area. Mayor Nash also fails to acknowledge the loss of existing jobs that will result from the disruption to our local businesses during the construction phase (as apparently evidenced by the Gold Coast construction) and the permanent loss of parking thereafter. Additionally, the contention that 4,000 more jobs in education, health and research will ultimately accrue is not credible. It is disappointing that these supposed construction and other jobs are the best benefits to the local community which Mayor Nash considers worthy of his comment, especially given the overall amenity cost to our local community which promises to be a nightmare during the conctruction phase and quite probably to follow, as was most recently exemplified at the Gold Coast and in Edingburgh. Further, there is material cost to the local community in the form of the Council's expenditure in connection with the light rail project. It seems that any real benefit from the project, if there is any, will be enjoyed by the major stakeholders and the corporates involved in the construction and operation of the light rail, not our local community.